of canton



E. W. GIBBS Dec. 18, 1928.

TOP Filed Feb. 17, 1926 nnuuum gwuvntoc V Elmer W 67M; m 3/5 Patented Dec. 18, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENTv OFFICE.

ELMER W. GIBBS, OF CANTON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE GIBBS MANUFACTURING COM- A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

Application filed February The invention relates to the construction of tops and twisting heads for the same and is an improvement upon the type of tops shown in Letters Patent No. 847,933 issued to me March 19, 1907, Letters Patent No. 1,005,020 issued to me on October 3, 1911 and Reissue No. 15,475 issued to me on October '24, 1922; and the improvements include changes in the proportions and shape of the top body to cause the sameto spin.

more steadily and for a greater length of time, and changes in the head which permit the same to be twisted and held more easily by the hand. t

The objects of the improvement are to construct a top body and twisting head of sheet metal in which the body of the top of greater diameter and less depth than in my former patents above referred to, lowering the center of gravity and causing the top to .spin more steadily; and to improve and simplify the construction of the twisting head, forming the same of substantially mushroom shape to permit it to be easily grasped by the thumb andfingers for twisting and by the fingers for releasing the top therefrom by pressure of the thumb.

Au embodiment of'the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of a top.

body and twisting head embodying the invention;

Fig. 2, a vertical sectional view of the same;

Fig. head; Fig. 4, a detached perspective view of the upper flanged disk of the twisting head;

Fi g. 5, a similar view of the spring barrel,

'Fig. 6, a detachedv perspective enlarged view of the lower flanged disk of the twisting head. i

Similar numerals of reference 3 indicate corresponding parts throughout the drawing. 1 The twisting I head is composed of the spring barrel 1, the upper flanged disk 2 and the lower flanged. disk 3, connected to the opposite ends of the spring barrel as by the lugs 4' extended through slots and notches 5 and 6 in the upper and lower disks, respectively, and clinched upon the same.

The spring barrel thus forms the stem 3, a perspective View of the twisting 17, 1926. Serial No. 88,759.

portion of the twisting head and is of considerably less diameter than the disks at the ends thereof, permitting the same to be easily grasped between the fingers of one hand, the disks preventing the fingers from slipping over either end of the. head.

The upper disk 2 has a depending peripheral flange 7, preferably knurled or roughened as shown, to aiford a firm grasp upon the same when twisting the head to place the spring 8 under tension.

The spring is in' the form of a coil of substantially the length of the spring barrel the upper end thereof being booked as at 9 and extending through a notch 10 in the upper end of the barrel while the lower end of the spring protrudes beneath the lower end of the barrel and terminates in the downturned end 11.

The lower disk 3 may be provided with a depending peripheral flange 1.2 upon which are formed at intervals the depending teeth 13, each having one vertical edge 14 and one inclined edge 15. 7

The depending flange is preferably bent inward and thence downward under the rim of the disk to avoid a protrusion of the teeth; and the ends of the teeth are preferably rounded, to avoid a cutting of the fingers.

It is evident that by this construction and arrangement of the parts a better and more efiicient twisting head is produced than those disclosed in my prior patents above referred to, as the spring barrel forms the stem portion of the twisting head dispensing with the outer casing shown in the prior patents referred to.

The twisting head thus formed is of such 7 the twisting head as the top is released therefrom. A simple but substantial twisting head is thus made which is well adapted'to V the purpose of spinning the top, which operation will be later described.

The top comprises the upper and lower slightly concaved members 16 and 17 respectively which are of greater diameter and less depth or concavity than the dome shaped members forming the tops in my prior patents. 'The members 16 and 17 are connected together by means of the rabbet and lip flanges 18 and 19 respectively formed upon the adjoining edges of the two sections.

The upper section 16 is provided with the raised portion 20 which receives the disk 21 forming an air chamber 22 betweenr the disk the upper top member downward to the lower top member, is preferably formed of sheet metal of cylindrical form, the upper end thereof having cusps 27 formed thereon,

which are bent as shown in the drawings forming an upper rounded closed end for the stem.

The lower end of the stem rests within the socket 28 formed in the lower member of the top, the head of the spindle 29 being received within said lower end of the stem, thereby centering thesame. An integral flange 80 may be formed upon the spindle, bears against the bottom wall of the socket 528. The disk 21 is mounted upon the stem and its peripheral edge is held in tight engagement with the inner wall of the upper sec: tion 16 by means of the annular rib 81 formed upon the stem. For the purpose of producing a humming top, the hollow section 17 is provided with the apertures 32.

, In the top shown in my prior patents, the

body portion, formed of the two dome shaped sections, had a diameter of three inches and a total depth of one and one-half inches from the point of the spindle, while in the present top,the diameter is three and one-half inches and the total depth from thepoint ot the spindle is-one inch. The stem entends about an inch and three-eighths above the body in both cases, thus locating the center of gravity considerably lower in the improved top. Thus. the diameter of the body in accordance with previous practice was substantiah 1y twice the depth of the body, while in the present improvement the diameter of the body is substantially three times the depth 7 thereof.

It willbe obvious that by 'forming'the top :body of these largesections which have less v the concavity than those shown in my prior patents above referred to, the center of gravity of the top is brought closer to the spindle and the top will be caused to spin more steadily.

The operation of the top may be briefly described as follows: The stem 26 is inserted, from the lower end upward through the hollow section of the twisting spring as best shown in 2, and the projecting end 11 one-the lower end of the sp 'ing is engaged with one of the apertures or sockets 23 in the upper surface of the top.

The head is then rotated, by grasping the disk head between the thumbv and fingers, in

wlich operation the teeth'13 successively enter and engage as ratchets in the inclined recesses 24:, the resilience of the spring 8 and the inclined'edges 15 of the teeth permitting the teeth to ride over the intervening upper surface of the top.

When the spring has been sufficiently twisted, the top is spun as by holding the barrel stem 1 of the head between the index and middle fingers of onehand and pressing the stem downward with the thumb,which serves to disengage the teeth from the top and permits the twisting spring to unwind itself, in doing which it rapidly rotates the top'with the stem thereof as an axle in the twisting spring, until the depending end 11 of the spring is disengaged from the top recess after which the head is lifted from the stem of the top or the stem of the top drops out of the vhead.

I claim: I

1. In' combination with a spinning top having a stem and a body portion thereon,

said body portion having an aperture and a V series of indentations in its upper side, a v

twisting head including a spring barrel, a disk permanentlyattached at each end of the barrel, a peripheral flange upon the upper disk, a toothed flange upon the lower disk for engagement with said indentations, and a twisting spring in the barrel connected thereto at its upper end, the lower end of spring being received in said aperture.

2. A twisting head for tops including a springbarrel stem, an annular flange fixed to each end of the stem, a peripheral flange upon the upper flange and teeth upon the lower flange, and twisting spring located within the barrel stem and'connected to one. end thereof.

In testimony that Iv claim the above, I have hereunto subscribed my name.

ELMER. w; GIB S. I i 

